Former.



0.5.TAYL'0R1 FORMER.,

' APlLIoATIoN FILED JULY 2, 1909.

f-Bate'lited Mazn', 1910.

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UNTTEB STATES PATENT FFTCE, l

CHARLES E. TAYLOR, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

FORMER.

To all 'whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. TAYLOR, a f citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine,have invented new and useful Improvements in Formers, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in formers for use in theconstruction of boat fenders and similar articles. Previous to thisinvention fenders have been made by takino' a piece of canvas, sewingthe same in cylindrical form and sewing a bottom therein; then the bagso formed is lled with ground cork or other similar material and tampeddown by hand and after the bag has been filled a top is sewed on and alanyard attached thereto so that the fender may be attached to the boat.In forming fenders in this way it has been quite ditcult to get them ofuniform thickness and to make them appear absolutely round and smooth onthe outside. The following described invention obviates thesediliiculties.

In the drawings herewith accompanying and forming part of thisapplication, Figure l is a top plan view of my improved former; Fig. 2is a plan view of the means used for holding the fender within theformer; Fig. 3 is an elevation, portions being broken away, showing theformer ready to receive the fender bag, the holding device not being inposition; and Fig. 4 represents a sectional view of the former With thefender covering in osition ready to receive a suitable filling.

ame letters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures. l

In said drawings A represents a cylindrical shell open at the top and atthe bottom as seen at B and C and provided with a vertical cut I. Saidcylinder is provided at its upper end with a groove D for the receptionof the holding device E which is preferably made in the form shown inFig. 2 of the drawing, namely, two semi-circular pieces of flexiblematerial which are adapted to t within the groove D in the top of thecylinder so as to hold the fender bag Gr when it inserted therein. Thisalso brings the two plied with a locking clamp F for the purposeSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application led July 2, 1909.

of bringing the casing close together and Patented Mar. 8, 1910.

serial No. 505,754.

I holding it in position after the bag has been inserted therein. Thisalso brings the two portions of the flexible holder E together and formsa tight lock for the bag in the cylinc er.

The operation of my device is as follows: The clamps F. are loosened sothat the cylinder, owing to its natural resiliency will open and thesemi-circular locking pieces E are removed. The fender bag Gr with thebottom sewed in is then placed within the former, a portion of the bagof the fender extending upwardly and beyond the top of the former. Theflexible lock E is then inserted in its proper position and the clampson the outside of the cylinder locked thus holding the bag in position.The material for the stuffing, ground cork or other similar material, isthen placed in the bag and tamped down either by hand or by a press ofsome suitable kind. In view of the fact that the pressure on the bag isequal on its entire circumference when the cork or other material istamped down the bag assumes the form and size of the former and presentswhen finished a neat and symmetrical article. The clamps on the outsideof the cylinder are then loosened, the flexible locking device removedfrom its slot in the top of the cylinder and the bag removed and a topsewed thereon.

I-Iaving thus described my invention and its use I claim l. In a former,a. cylindrical resilient shell open at the top and bottom and dividedlongitudinally, its adjacent edges being normally spaced apart, and aninternal circumferential groove near the top, and means for closing theshell, in combination with a resilient broken ring adapted to projectinto said groove, its adjacent ends being normally spaced apart, wherebypressure tending to close the shell is communicated to and tends also toclose the ring and lock it in said groove.

2. In a former, a cylindrical resilient shell open at the top and bottomand divided longitudinally, its adjacent edges being normally spacedapart, and an internal circumferential groove near the top, and meansfor closing the shell, in combination with a plurality of 'resilientring sections adapted subscribing Witnesses this 28th day of to projectinto said grooves, whereby pres- June, 1909. sure tending to Close theshell is eominuni- K cated to and tends also to closethe ring andCHARLES E' TAYLOR' 5 look the sections in said groove. In presence of-In testimony whereof, I have signed my i NATHAN CLIFFORD,

name to this speeioation in presence of two i MARION RICHARDS.

